Johan de la Rocquette: Portrait of Philippus Baldaeus and Gerrit Mossopotam (1668)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

A painting by the Dutch artist Johan de la Rocquette (1640-1694). Philippus Baldaeus (1632-1671) was a preacher in the service of the Dutch East-India Company (the V.O.C.). Baldaeus was primarily stationed in Jaffna, Sri Lanka where he was the first European to describe the culture, language and religion of the Tamils. In 1666 Baldaeus returned to the Netherlands where he stayed until he died in 1671. This painting is probably made to commemorate his stay in Sri Lanka. Baldaeus is shown here wearing a turban and a banyan (known in Dutch as a 'Japanese coat') together with his servant and Sinhalese translator Gerrit Mossopotam. Painting from 1668.